Don't start kids in sports too young
Brian, 3 years old, jumps over a cone at Pro Soccer Kids in Rockville Centre last month. Credit: Nancy Borowick
Parents should be aware that early competitive sports involvement is not always beneficial to their child's health. As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, I am seeing an increasing number of children and adolescents with irreversible damage that can require surgery, lead to premature arthritis and permanent joint damage.
I am certainly an advocate of getting our kids involved in sports at an early age. Children spend too much time in front of televisions and computers these days. However, too much and too early involvement in organized sports can be just as detrimental. Parents should think twice about pushing their kids into these early organized sports.
Parents would be well advised to visit stopsportsinjuries.org, "Keeping Kids in the Game for Life," sponsored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, as well as by other organizations.
Dr. Eric A. Putterman
Melville
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